Grayslake Area Public Library - Grayslake, IL

Ahhh... Home... We were able to experience it for just about enough time to open the windows, bring the mail inside, and close the windows. Then it was off to pick up a PA before heading to the Grayslake Area Public Library to set up.

I had performed at my hometown library twice in the past, both times when I was still in high school. One of these "concerts" took place in an indoor meeting room, where I sang to no more than 15-20 people using a drooping microphone that was skillfully jerry-rigged with masking tape. The other concert was pretty much the same, with the exception that it took place outdoors.

Given these past experiences, it was a bit of a surprise for Tricia and me when we were setting up the PA around 6 PM (over an hour before we were slated to begin) and a flock of senior citizens began staking out spots in the front row of the seating area. Clearly, we were going to be playing for a demographic much different than the one we'd become accustomed to over the course of the previous four weeks. Different in what way, you ask? For one, they had presumably eaten supper during the wee hours of the afternoon, so they would already be getting hungry again around the start of the show. The question was, what could we -- a pair of musicians -- do to appease their discontent before it spiraled out of control?

Luckily, Merleanne, the wonderful woman responsible for organizing the library's summer concert series, had come up with a terrific solution. No, she didn't set up a bingo-themed Old Country Buffet in the parking lot. She did, however, manage to get a Culver's employee to hand out ice cream during the show; it was free, so they didn't even have to pull out their AARP cards. But that wasn't all. Merleanne gave Tricia and me the task of asking trivia questions to the audience between songs; the prizes for correctly answering these questions weren't measly key chains or koozies, but pairs of actual Ravinia tickets. The summer concert series had truly become a fun (and incentive-laden) event for the whole family. (Seriously, where was Merleanne's promotional savvy when I played at the library back in high school?)

In the end, even though our trivia creation abilities were horrendous, we had a good time performing in front of the respectable slice of Grayslake that came out for the show. It was especially nice to see family, friends, co-workers, former students, and a slew of energetic toddlers among the crowd. Their faces (along with our two days of not traveling on the 26th and 27th) collectively served as a rejuvenating force after what seemed like an aimless week and a half of traveling.

(photo courtesy of Mr. Jude Fischer)

Driving Music:
Blind Pilot - 3 Rounds and a Sound
Wolf Parade - Apologies to the Queen Mary
Nathaniel Rateliff - In Memory of Loss
WBEZ!